Who we are?

Ethical Culture Fieldston School is a progressive PreK-12 independent school that has been serving students from throughout New York City and the surrounding suburbs since 1878. ECFS offers a rich curriculum in the arts, sciences, and humanities. A co-ed, nonsectarian school, it serves a diverse community of about 1,700 students on two campuses -- one in the Riverdale section of the Bronx and the other in Manhattan. Fieldston Lower, located in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, is comprised of approximately 270 students Pre-K through 5th Grade and 60 faculty members.

What is essential about working at our school?

The Ethical Culture Fieldston School has a long history of equity and inclusion deeply rooted in our mission and the educational philosophy of our founder, Felix Adler. We embrace diversity of ancestry, family, identity, culture, and beliefs and seek a student body and faculty that reflect the pluralism and socio-economic diversity of metropolitan New York. We affirm both our differences and commonalities and strive to balance individuality and community. In keeping with our progressive tradition, we are dedicated to increasing our students’ cultural literacy to help them understand multiple perspectives and see the world beyond the self. 

We expect members of our community to engage in open dialogue about living and learning in a diverse environment inside and outside the classroom. We see this work, with its creative tensions, as a catalyst for individual and collective growth. On a daily basis, we are committed to making this vision of a democratic, pluralistic, and progressive school a reality. 

Position SummaryWe are currently seeking a Learning Specialist who is committed to and considers diversity, equity, inclusion, and ethics to be at the core of their work with students and colleagues and who will contribute to the academic success of all students. He/She/They will foster a student-centered learning environment, emphasizing experiential and collaborative approaches. The Learning Specialist is a member of the Language and Learning Team, which supports the work of the classroom teachers by helping students who benefit from additional support in literacy development and executive functioning skills.

A Learning Specialist works with students who have been identified as having difficulties with decoding, reading comprehension, and/or writing across content areas. In collaboration with teachers, the specialist works as a co-teacher in the classroom and leads small groups for targeted instruction. They perform both formal and informal assessments to monitor student progress and inform individual educational goals. The learning specialist also functions as a resource to classroom and specialist teachers by providing consultation about student learning profiles, selection of materials, and teaching strategies. They contribute to curriculum development and modification with a focus on student support. The learning specialist attends team, grade level, and administrative meetings to discuss student issues and progress. They participate in meetings with the parents of their students and facilitate coordination between the school, family, and outside service providers. 

The position will either be PreK-1st or 2nd-3rd grade and will be determined based on the candidate’s prior experiences. 

The hiring range for this role is $68,212-$161,916 (subject to union negotiations).

Responsibilities

The Learning Specialist responsibilities will include:

• Administering formal and informal language assessments, including the Fountas and Pinnell Assessment System, Acadience, Core Phonics, and other more comprehensive measures of progress;

• Leading language planning meetings with other teachers in the grade;

• Contributing to curriculum development and modification with a focus on student support; 

• Monitoring and assessing student progress and maintaining information on student progress;

• Supporting teachers in the differentiation of their curriculum;

• Attending team, grade level, and administrative meetings to discuss student issues and progress;

• Teaching and facilitating lessons using Fundations, Guided Reading, Words Their Way, and Writing Revolution curriculum with grade level teams;

• Updating and overseeing individual learning plans;

• Providing additional support to students in small groups during the day, as needed;

• Acting as liaison to parents about the program and the specific needs of their children;

• Collaborating with teachers, parents and administrators to help support the student's needs;

• Maintaining regular contact with outside providers;

• Participating in meetings with the parents of their students and facilitating coordination between the school, family, and outside service providers;

• Having a commitment to our mission and the ten tenets of progressive education that guide our academic program.

RequirementsThe successful incumbent will possess:

• A Master’s degree in Reading, Special Education or related fields preferred;

• A minimum of three years experience with reading and writing instruction/remediation;

• Prior experience and comfort with co-teaching whole-class language instruction and leading small group and 1:1 lessons;

• Familiarity with recent research and instructional approaches related to Science of Reading;

• Experience with learning differences and differentiated curriculum;

• Experience in administering and analyzing benchmark and standardized assessments of reading, including the Fountas & Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System (BAS) and online assessment systems;

• Experience with Fundations, Guided Reading, Words Their Way, and Writing Revolution curriculum;

• Strong organizational skills with a high level of detail;

• Excellent oral and written communication skills along with the ability to show empathy working with students with diverse needs;

• Experience working in a diverse school, knowledge of and commitment to multicultural education, identity development and culturally relevant pedagogy and practices;

• Respect and appreciation for diversity in all of its forms;

• The ability to listen effectively and be receptive to feedback.

To ApplyAll candidates should visit our employment page at www.ecfs.org to apply. Please a resume, and contact information for three references. EEOECFS is an equal opportunity employer. Our goal is to be a diverse community of professionals that broadly reflects the people of the metropolitan New York City area, our students, and families. We aim to align our hiring process with our mission and institutional goals. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion or religious practices, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, citizenship status, national origin, age, ability status, military status, unemployment status or any other category protected by applicable local, state, or federal laws. ECFS takes affirmative action in support of its policy to employ and advance all qualified candidates.